Body flexibility is the dream of millions of people. Almost everyone wants to be flexible, flexible, strong. They dream of doing the splits and almost tying themselves in a knot.
But few people think about simple questions:
How to properly stretch muscles?
Which muscles should you stretch and which should you not? (Yes, yes. There are muscles, stretching which disrupts the balance in the body and leads to health problems.)
Are they ready to pay the right price for what they want? Are you ready to spend all this time and effort?
How to combine strength training and stretching? And to what extent should you stretch so that the results of many years of strength training do not suffer?
There are a lot of these questions...
Timely answers to these questions will allow you to avoid many, sometimes very annoying mistakes. Some of these mistakes can easily put an end to your sports career and even harm your health. Let's look at the most serious of them.
Flexibility Mistake #1
Expecting results too quickly
You often see promises like “splits in a month, splits in 10 workouts, splits in a week.” And the requests on the Internet are generally amusing: “cross splits in one day”!
If you are naturally quite flexible, it may take up to two months to get the splits without losing your health or damaging your joints.
Most people find it difficult to even take the starting position to perform the necessary exercises. That is, they have to stretch their muscles just to start stretching their muscles properly!
For an ordinary person who is not gifted with natural flexibility, a period of six months is quite realistic to do the longitudinal splits. Cross twine may require more time. Moreover, you will need to train at least 4-5 times a week for 30-50 minutes.
Forcing exercises, violating reasonable requirements, artificially increasing flexibility with the use of excessive loads can result in disability or result in extremely unpleasant delayed consequences. Especially in old age.
Be patient, developing flexibility takes time.
Flexibility Mistake #2
Stretching the wrong muscles
A very common mistake! How many backs have been hurt! Pull exactly the muscles you want to stretch. Don't strain your back extensors or overextend your hip joints, especially if you're doing strength training. Overstretched muscles are unable to maintain the desired balance and support the joints. Especially under load. Hence the injuries and contortions.
Under no circumstances should you pull your fingers.
Error 3
Stretching not only muscles, but also ligaments
It is the muscles that should be pulled, not the ligaments. Ligaments are strong and almost inextensible membranes of the joints. It is quite difficult to break them, but with due diligence it is possible. As a result, you will have to undergo long-term rehabilitation, or completely forget about training. The knee joints are especially vulnerable. Be sure to follow basic precautions:
Bend your knees slightly when pulling your hamstrings.
Have a clear idea of why you want to develop flexibility. And exactly what kind of flexibility do you need, in what location? Are you willing to pay an adequate price for this result in the form of time and significant effort?
Never experience too much pain during flexibility training. This is a recipe for injury, which will definitely set you back in your training for several months, or even prevent you from developing flexibility altogether.
Don't forget about compensatory exercises and symmetry when stretching. This is the most important condition for the high effectiveness of your training and the key to improving your health.
Anna Kasatkina, Woman, 19 years old
Hello! I have a problem with my leg. In general, I decided to learn how to do the splits. It’s flexible in itself, so I wasn’t particularly afraid. I trained every day, diligently, very carefully. I never struggled through pain, never injured anything (until that very moment). After training, nothing hurt, as if I had never learned to sit down, on the contrary, it was always pleasant. I did it either once a day or 2 times (morning and evening). To warm up for the longitudinal, I swung my legs and, lying on my back, tried to tilt my leg as close to myself as possible. For the transverse one, standing, I raised my leg from the side. As a result, it doesn’t work out transversely, but longitudinally: when the right leg is forward, the left leg is backward, it works out badly and the leg turns out, but when the left leg goes forward, the right leg back, it turns out very well, even the leg doesn’t turn out. At some point, the progress disappeared, and I thought that it wouldn’t work out any further, but I continued to do it, and then it started to work out again. In general, in December I practically did the longitudinal splits with “left forward - right back”. But... she almost sat down. There were only a few millimeters left, well, in short, just a little... so I decided to finally overcome this barrier! And yes! I managed to touch the floor! But... at that moment I suddenly heard some kind of crunching, somewhere above, in the thigh, it seems. It didn't hurt at all. I got scared and immediately stood up. Then I got up and decided to check if I could walk. When I stood up, something crunched again. I could walk, I could run. I decided that everything was fine. In the end, the next day everything was fine, but there was a feeling as if the leg was numb and there was a feeling that it was so unstable that it could fall apart at any moment, but there was no pain. But it was painful to lift my leg and bend over. The next day, everything was completely gone, and lifting my leg was not painful. But bending over was painful. I haven’t done the splits yet, just in case. I only studied on the other leg, then, just in case, I left it alone. After some time, I decided to try to sit on my “bad” leg, but it became so painful that I couldn’t even start. Then I realized that nothing had happened. It didn’t hurt to try on the transverse leg, it didn’t hurt on the other leg, it became even more painful when I decided to do an exercise for the transverse leg: lie on your back against the wall and spread your legs along the wall. I decided not to do anything else for now. Recently (the third week is already underway) I managed to bend down to the floor, but it hurts on my “sick” leg. So, everything seems to be fine, but there is still a feeling as if something is wrong... and this is periodically felt... and as if the very peak has quickly passed, and the rest... as if this is now forever (I’m scared (and the most mysterious thing is that, If you don’t try to do the splits and don’t do something “provocative” of this kind, it is impossible to determine by any signs that something is wrong with your leg. And outwardly there is no bruise, no swelling, nothing at all! I should probably be happy that I can walk, run, jump, that nothing hurts, but... still, something is wrong, and I feel it. And most importantly, I really want to continue doing the splits! For many, this is torment and it hurts for them, but for me it doesn’t, and it’s very pleasant afterwards, it’s just an indescribable feeling! And maybe it seemed to me, but even my coordination became better after stretching! And it’s as if such lightness is felt... I often feel a little physical discomfort, but after any exercise I feel so good)) I’m not ready to quit the splits. It will be a shame if everything has to start again, but I am ready for this and will calmly start all over again. But I’m not sure that now I’ll ever be able to... and that someday everything will really go away... what’s wrong with me? Will this pass? Will I be able to do the splits?
Hello! You, of course, will be able to do the splits, but the injury to the specified area of the body (adductor and abductor muscles of the thigh, groin muscles, possibly the capsule of the femoral joint, the latter is unlikely without outside “help”) really takes a long time to heal and is prone to relapse, you need first of all caution! Have your hip abductor tendon rupture and hip injury checked by an orthopedic surgeon. Most likely, it’s simple for you, but you need to get checked. Give your leg a complete rest for another 2 weeks and do other exercises. Next, a very good warm-up before stretching is required; in addition to exercises, use ointments; after training, apply cold to the painful area. It helps to do the splits using a hardware massager in vibration mode during stretching, for example, while stretching while lying against a wall. Limit, if possible, swing stretches (you did not specify the type of sport, if swing movements are constant, apply kinesiological tape). When the pain disappears, you can stretch with the help of a partner who gently presses on the thigh, stretching to the limit as you exhale, then as you inhale you perform resistance to your partner in a state of maximum stretching, while exhaling again the partner increases the stretch limit. Until recovery, use Traumil ointment and arnica dilution D6 orally (both homeopathic remedies), daily. I also recommend “pumping up” your muscles. Exercises on machines - hip adduction and abduction, plie squats, the weight of the weight is such that it is difficult to complete 10 repetitions (increase the weight gradually). You correctly pointed out that coordination (dexterity) is a combination of speed and flexibility. The injury will pass, but patience will be required. Good luck!
Have you met fantastically flexible people who can easily do cross or longitudinal splits? If desired, a person of any age and with any level of physical fitness can learn to perform almost acrobatic stunts. Of course, you will have to work hard to achieve results. However, the reward for the athlete will be not only the fulfillment of a cherished dream, but also health benefits. We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the most obvious advantages that the ability to do the splits gives.
The ability to do the splits is an indicator of high elasticity of muscles and ligaments. By regularly and properly stretching your muscles, you reduce the risk of injury when playing sports or simply falling. Also, good elasticity will allow the body to recover faster after physical activity and cope with pain after training more quickly.
How long does it take to do the splits? It turns out that even with intense training, a person’s muscles stretch by 3-4 centimeters per month. Through simple calculations and by assessing your physical fitness and natural flexibility, you can imagine how long it will take you to do the splits. The work can take as little as a month or longer.
Improved posture
Good flexibility is the key to gracefulness and smooth movements. By doing stretching exercises you can strengthen your spine. This means that your back will hurt less, and your gait will become beautiful.
Development of perseverance and endurance
In order to do the splits, desire alone is not enough. You need to put in a lot of effort, not give up halfway through, overcome the pain and literally gain victory over your body. Along with developing flexibility, you will work on the ability to not give up in difficult situations, a sense of self-control and endurance.
I am often asked why do you need to do the splits? Good stretching is needed not only for the beauty and pride of an athlete. The ability to do the splits brings practical benefits to health and well-being:
- Improving blood circulation, functioning of the pelvic organs, as well as the abdominal cavity.
- Increased mobility of the pelvis and sacral region.
- Prevention of diseases of the genitourinary system.
- Normalization of the menstrual cycle, good preparation for conception and subsequent childbirth.
- Stretching, improving the health of the spine, preventing scoliosis, improving posture.
- Strengthening the abdominal muscles, legs, getting rid of excess weight on the legs.
- Reduced psycho-emotional stress, increased self-confidence, improved mood.
Regular stretching exercises can improve blood circulation. The vessels become elastic, which means that the risk of varicose veins is reduced. The splits exercise is often recommended for use in training by people already familiar with varicose veins.
Strengthening and increasing joint mobility
This is a particularly important plus for women planning to become mothers. By taking care to improve the flexibility of your hip joints, you can make the birth process easier in the future. And joint mobility will allow you to easily master different sports areas - yoga, dancing, gymnastics, body ballet, Pilates, etc. You will not feel stiffness in your movements.
Stretching and flexibility directly depend on two factors: age and gender. It is believed that it is easier for women to learn to do the splits due to their natural flexibility. Also, representatives of the fair sex tolerate physical activity more easily. As for age, of course, children do the splits faster than adults.
Split sitting promotes optimal functioning of the digestive system. The pelvic muscles will be in good shape, which plays an important role in preventing the occurrence of diseases of the genitourinary system. You will forget about bowel problems and give yourself a feeling of well-being. Agree, a nice bonus to a new achievement?
Increased self-esteem
For many people, the ability to do the splits is one of the most exciting sports goals. Good stretching will make you feel freer and more relaxed. Victory over yourself will improve your mood for a long time and give you self-confidence!
Today we will talk about longitudinal splits and the main mistakes that 99% of people make. Throughout my entire practice, I have been keeping statistics and I can say with confidence that everyone does the wrong longitudinal split. No one simply informs you what is correct, how safe, etc. As a rule, stretching “trainers” in various studios frankly don’t care how you do the splits (it’s possible that they also don’t know what a longitudinal split looks like correctly), the main goal is to sag as low as possible to the floor, and the health of the student is not at all important, The main thing is to earn more money, but today is not about that.
If you make all the mistakes listed below in the article, I can guarantee you that you will end up with: an injured lower back, sore knees, there may be sharp pain in the arch of the femur and pelvic bones, and many other unpleasant things. If you want to do the longitudinal splits correctly and safely, then this article is for you.
Please note the photo below shows " WRONG"(top)
and “correct” (bottom) longitudinal twine.
I would like to note that most stretching studios and coaches do not pay attention to these points, although they are fundamental. With the correct split:
1. Your hips should be parallel to your shoulders, and not turned out to the side;
2. The heel of the back leg should point up toward the ceiling;
3. Body weight is distributed approximately 60 (back)/40 (front).
Main mistakes:
1.Your hips are turned out and pointing to the side, BUT they should strictly point directly to where the foot of your front leg is pointing. You can sit in a longitudinal split with your hips turned out, but this can cause injuries to the hip joint and overstretched ligaments and tendons. After the “wrong” split, it is extremely difficult to relearn the correct position and takes much more energy.
2. If the heel of the back leg points to the ceiling, then you are doing everything correctly, but if it is turned towards the front leg, then it means you have turned your hips and are pulling the longitudinal split INCORRECTLY!!
3. How else can you determine whether you are sitting on the splits correctly or not? According to my observations, in most cases of incorrect splits, well, in most cases, 100/100, when the hips are turned to the side, the person tries to sit on the front leg and sit the front buttock on the floor, this is WRONG! With the correct position, the body weight is distributed a little more on the back leg, which allows you to place the quadriceps femoris on the floor; only in this position is the split considered correct. If the first thing you do when approaching the floor is your buttock on the floor, and not the thigh of your back leg, it means that you are sitting incorrectly and you need to urgently correct your mistakes. Again, if you are already doing the splits, then the body weight is distributed 50/50; if you are just stretching, then the weight needs to be shifted a little more to the back leg in proportions 65/35 or 70/30.
If you come to the studio and the trainer does not correct you, but simply pushes you, just to push you faster and harder towards the floor, then my advice to you is: run away from this studio until they make you disabled. Approach carefully and seriously when choosing a studio and a trainer, you are no longer a child with soft joints, ligaments and tendons, you have a long-formed body with tight ligaments, tendons, joints and therefore the issue of stretching must be approached thoroughly. When stretching, your number one priority should be
Reading time: 13 minutes
Splits are the dream of many. But what if you don't have natural flexibility? Is it possible to achieve the desired stretch if you are still very far from your goal? Can. The key to results will be three factors: regularity, diligence and time.
We offer you the most useful tips on how to learn how to do the splits, as well as the most effective exercises for the splits. Even if you are not particularly motivated to do the splits, remember that doing the suggested stretching exercises will be very beneficial for your health. This includes increasing joint mobility, improving the functioning of the pelvic organs, and strengthening the leg muscles.
How do the splits?
- The main condition for good stretching is regularity - you should exercise 5-6 times a week. And if you want to speed up the result, then do splits exercises every day or even 2 times a day. Taking long breaks from stretching will set you back several notches.
- Morning stretching, when the body has not yet had time to warm up, is considered the most effective. But your joints and muscles will be most flexible by the end of the day, so it is very important to stretch both morning and evening.
- Before training, take a hot shower, it will relax your muscles and make them more flexible.
- Necessarily Warm up your body before stretching: Have a good jump or run. It is advisable for you to sweat slightly. Warm-up should last at least 10 minutes. The better you are warmed up, the easier the splits exercises will be. Check out our selection of warm-up exercises.
- Turn on some nice slow music. This will allow you to relax, let go of your fears and train more effectively.
- In order to do the splits, you need an integrated approach to training. Don't just focus on developing, for example, the pelvic area and hamstrings. The body is a single organism, which means it is necessary to develop absolutely all muscles and achieve flexibility in all joints and tendons.
- Start with a longitudinal twine, it is easier to achieve than a transverse one. After you sit on the longitudinal split, proceed to attempts to perform the transverse split. But you can also stretch in parallel into two splits at the same time.
- Don't set yourself up for quick results. The Internet is full of articles “How to do the splits in one day, in 3 days, in a week”, but don’t be fooled by loud headlines. Listen to your body and don't force things.
- Be prepared for pain. As you stretch, you will feel discomfort in your muscles and ligaments from time to time. Such discomfort during splits exercises will accompany you constantly, so your exercises are unlikely to be pleasant and relaxing.
- Need to stretch with a relaxed body and deep breathing. Your muscles should not be tense! The deeper your breathing, the better your body can stretch, which means you can do the splits faster.
- Don't turn to strangers for help so they can try to stretch you. This is fraught with injury. Better slowly but surely.
- Use ready-made training video sets if you don’t like to train on your own or want to diversify your splits exercises. Check out our selection of twine videos.
- You can perform splits exercises in several approaches. For example, we took a lunge position, reached maximum muscle tension, and stayed in this position for several minutes. Then we rested a little and returned to the lunge position.
- The least traumatic stretch is static, which involves holding one position for several minutes. Use a stopwatch on your phone or wristwatch: you should be in a static position for at least 1-2 minutes.
- If you want to do the splits faster, then The total duration of your workout should be at least 30 minutes.
- When stretching, pull the toe not away from you, as in ballet, but towards you. This will allow you to deepen the stretch even more.
- If you want to achieve faster results in splits exercises, then try practicing yoga regularly. Thanks to yoga, you will learn proper breathing, develop flexibility, stretch your muscles and open your joints. You can, for example, do yoga in the morning and stretching in the evening.
- If you were able to do the splits, take your time to relax and rest on your laurels. In order to maintain the result, you need to continue to exercise, otherwise there will be no trace of your flexibility left.
- Remember that each of us has different genetics. For some, a week of regular training is enough to do the splits; for others, even three months is not enough. If you have natural flexibility, it will be easier for you to do the splits.
- If you want to do the splits faster, you can purchase additional tools for effective stretching. For example, split stretching machine. Stretching on the simulator is very convenient and comfortable - you do not need external pressure or holding positions. Using a stretching machine will keep your muscles relaxed and more pliable for stretching.
In childhood, it is much easier to work on stretching due to better joint mobility, softness of ligaments and muscles. Typically, children can do the splits without difficulty, and with regular practice they maintain good stretching until adulthood. Therefore, you can practice splits with children or younger brothers and sisters.
Exercises for transverse and longitudinal splits
We offer you a selection of the most effective exercises that will help you do the splits. These exercises for transverse and longitudinal splits must be performed 5-6 times a week for 40-60 minutes. Hold each pose for 2-3 minutes, accompanying the stretching with deep breathing (you can use a timer). Try to deepen the position more and more each time, gradually stretching the muscles and ligaments. Use yoga blocks (or books) and a strap (towel) as needed.
1. Lunge
Get into a lunge position with your back knee on the mat (place a towel or pillow under your knee if necessary). Keep the shin of the other leg perpendicular to the floor, do not move the knee forward of the foot. Deepen the position, trying to pull your pelvis towards the floor. You can use yoga blocks. This is one of the simplest and most useful longitudinal split exercises!
From a lunge position, lower your hands to the floor on either side of your feet. Grab your bent left leg with your right hand, turning your body as shown in the picture. In this position, the leg muscles for longitudinal splits are stretched even better.
In a lunge position, place both hands on one side of your foot. If flexibility allows, lower your elbows to the floor. Use yoga blocks for support as needed. Each time, your leg muscles will stretch, and you will be able to quickly bring yourself closer to your goal of doing the splits.
From a lunge position, straighten your front leg with your knee tucked. Place your hands on the floor, try not to hunch your back. Feel the stretch in your hamstrings with this split exercise. This will be useful for both transverse and longitudinal twine. Gradually move your front leg forward to deepen the position.
From a lunge position, lower your front leg to the floor, turning your leg to the side. The foot is located near the pelvis, the thigh and lower leg lie completely on the floor. The pelvis stretches towards the floor and forward, do not turn it to the side. The pelvic bones point forward. If possible, lower your hands to the floor, deepening the position. This is one of the most effective longitudinal split exercises, and it is quite simple.
6. Deep Pigeon Pose
You can deepen the position of the pigeon by pulling the back leg towards the body with your hand. The pelvis stretches towards the floor, do not turn it to the side - the pelvic bones should look forward. Skip this exercise if you are not flexible enough.
Lie on your back and grab a belt, towel or elastic band. Lift one leg up and pull it towards you. Try to straighten your knees, this will help you feel the stretch in your hamstrings and hamstrings. The second leg is straightened and lies on the floor. If you find it difficult to maintain this position, bend your other leg at the knees. (not the one we pull, but the one lying on the floor).
We continue to perform splits exercises in a lying position. Grab your leg with a strap and move it first to one side, then to the other. Try to straighten both legs at the knees to enhance the leg stretch. This is not only a great exercise for cross splits, but also a good stretch for the back.
The fold is one of the most popular exercises not only in split training, but also in stretching training in general. The main condition for performing this exercise: you should not lower your neck and back to your legs, but your stomach. Don't hunch over or reach your back toward your legs; you should be stretching your hamstrings, not your spine. If you can't reach your feet with your hands, use a towel or strap. During this splits exercise, try to keep your back straight.
One of the main asanas in yoga perfectly develops leg stretching. With the correct downward-facing dog position, you will effectively stretch the hamstrings and hamstrings, which is required for both cross and longitudinal splits.
To deepen the stretch from a downward-facing dog position, lift your leg straight up. The legs are straight, the knees are pulled up, the back and legs form a slide. This exercise is great practice for vertical splits.
Another very effective exercise for longitudinal and transverse splits is bending towards the floor. Note that in this position, both legs remain straight and do not bend at the knees. Feet are completely on the floor. If you can’t keep your back straight when bending over, you can lean on blocks or a chair.
Take a side lunge position and lower your pelvis as low as possible. The back remains straight, you can maintain balance by resting your hands on the floor. The depth of the side lunge position is very dependent on your stretch. If you can't get into the position shown in the picture, just don't go that low. Remember that the knee should not go beyond the toe.
Take a deep squat position and rest your elbows on your knees. Stay in this position, trying to maintain balance. If you cannot stand steadily in the garland pose, then place a yoga block under your buttocks. Again, make sure that your knees do not go past your toes. This exercise will not only help you do the splits, but will also strengthen your leg muscles.
But this exercise will be very effective for cross splits. The butterfly exercise is not as simple as it might seem at first glance, especially if your hip joints are not sufficiently open. In this splits exercise, it is very important to keep your back straight. If stretching doesn't allow you to do this, place a pillow or yoga block under your buttocks. Try to place your heels as close to the groin area as possible.
Another very effective exercise for cross splits is the frog. Get on all fours and spread your legs apart, resting on your forearms. You can place pillows or a towel under your knees. Try to deepen the position, gradually spreading your legs. Regular frog practice will help you open your hip joints and do the splits.
17. Bend to the side with legs spread
After you have completed a number of preparatory poses, you can do a basic exercise for cross splits. To do this, you need to sit on your buttocks and spread your legs to the sides as far as possible. If you cannot keep your back straight in this position, then place a pillow under your buttock. Bend to the right and left. Feel the stretch in your legs increase.
18. Bend forward with legs spread
From the same position, lean your body forward, keeping your back straight. Place your hands or forearms on the floor and hold in this position. The wider your legs are, the closer you get to the cross split. When tilting, you can lean on the block.
19. Longitudinal splits exercise
To practice the longitudinal splits, you will need several yoga blocks or pillows. Take a deep lunge position and gradually move your legs apart into a split, lowering yourself to the floor to the maximum possible depth (you can use socks for better glide). Freeze in this position, trying to breathe out the painful sensations. Place your hands on blocks or the floor. You can stay in this position for 3-5 minutes depending on your capabilities. Gradually you will sit lower and closer to the floor. Exit the splits carefully without sudden movements.
M-Flex split stretch machine
Split training will become several times more comfortable and effective if you use a special M-Flex split training machine, which provides a tremendous advantage over traditional stretching methods. Working out on the M-Flex machine is very simple: just put the footrests in a position that is comfortable for you and you can start training. What is the advantage of stretching for splits using the M-Flex simulator?
Firstly, the load is applied smoothly and evenly. Secondly, the soft seat and foot rests allow you to stay in a stretched position for a long time. Thirdly, thanks to an accurate progress bar, you can easily track your results. But the main advantage of M-Flex is the ability relaxation on the simulator, which is the key to quickly achieving results. With regular exercise, you will not only be able to do the cross splits, but also significantly improve your stretching.
